I recognised one of the pairs (Danny or Oswald I think) from Season 2 but he was partnering with another guy.

fashionblue: I happened to be in Macau going back to Hong Kong on 14 Dec and I saw the Amazing Race teams there. It was obvious because the camera men were rushing to film the teams buying the ferry tickets. I recognised one of the pairs (Danny or Oswald I think) from Season 2 but he was partnering with another guy. And when I boarded the ferry, Phil was seated behind me. I casually joked, "oh so the AR teams are here huh?". He just smiled. When I asked if I could take a pic with him, he said "I'll be in deep trouble if I do that!".

11. Hong Kong 12/13 to MacauA hydrofoil taking just over one hour will get teams from Hong Kong to Macau.

Pitstop late on 12/13

12. Macau 12/14 to Hong Kong to GuamTeams should take the hydrofoil back to Hong Kong since the International Airport has superior flights to everywhere. Flight options start at 1010 with JAL730 to NRT 1010 to 1500, then CO007 NRT to GUM 1715 to 1950 and end with the most direct routing of CEBU AIR 119 to MNL 1940 to 2140, then CO934 MNL to GUM 2310 to 0440. There are about 10 other combinations in between.

I am going to make my one and only contribution to this leg. The Hydrofoil schedule between Hong Kong and Macau both ways is from 0700 to 2300 every 15 minutes, with less tha once per hour in the 8 hour period in between. the fare is HK$138 over and HK$142 back. It takes less than one hour.

I am leaving for an airport hotel very soon and on a series of planes in 11 hours. I will be in the air or connecting for 29.5 hours and end up in Queensland for 11 days, returning 4/23. It looks like I could not have picked a better time to be away if I had planned it this way. See you in 13 days.

This is my take on what we know/don't know so far about this week. Frank speculation is in red. Blue is where I hope puddin will attach a pretty pic.

Preview 1 and 2 here .

The big debate seems to whether this is a TBC or a not TBC...And I'm happy to report that we all seem in perfect agreement that it is either a TBC or....a NEL.....or an Elim....or a BVM surprise!

If the BQ confessional is from a future episode as seems likely, then that removes my only objection to this being a TBC.And if the Cha's confessional is in Guam as seems likely, then there are no confessionals for this episode which makes a TBC even more possible.

They go to the Hong-Kong to Macau TurboJetferry terminal at Sheung wan. (Boingo's nice GE map here?)Ferries depart at 0130, 0200, 0400, 0445, 0600, 0700, 0730, 0800 and then every 15 minutes until 1800, and take approximately 55 minutes. It costs HK$138 (=$17.68) after 0700 and HK$172 (=$22) before 0700 (Hmmm....maybe this is where O/D lose their lead?).

(We know what the two Detours and the Roadblock are, we know they rent a kiddie car, we know they go to Lou Lim Ieoc Gardens. We don't know which order things occur in for sure ie Roadblock or Detour first, and we don't know that the Garden is for sure the site of the Pitstop/TBC Mat stop--so take the rest with a little salt.)

The teams find their cluebox at the Ferry Terminal in Macau and choose between two Detours, each with their own pros and cons. (Don't you miss that?*sigh*)

At some point, teams collect their own kiddie bumper car and drive themselves to their tasks. I think that is now and may provide a little H of Op. Ch/M take the bumper car part a little too literally, which may explain how they fall behind.Row it or Roll it? (titles mine)

O/D choose Row it and fetch and carry a ceremonial drum along the waterfront near Neobie's Macao-Taipei Bridge to a Macau Dragon Boat where they row to I don't know where.This task in hindsight proves to lead to a costly time delay.

The other teams all choose Roll it and proceed to Hakushu8's bamboo pole Noodle workshop, where they roll out handmade noodles. And we won't even go there about riding that pole!Timeshots during this task put Eric there about 5:30 and Ch/M there about 7:05 (AM presumed). (conflicting time info--will need to be determined)

Teams eventually drive themselves to the Roadblock, which occurs at Slowhatch's Macau Tower.(Order of arrival, conversations, deals etc. are educated speculation--you have been warned!)

The Roadblock, which one member of each team performs, is the Skywalk and the SkyJump and who knows maybe they throw in the Bungy and the Mast Climb too! (I'm so glad to finally see an AllStar worthy task that I would keep them up there all day!)

We see Charla performing this task for her team.

Now, it appears that E/D and the BQ's arrive at the tower (BQ's first?) close to each other, where they find a Yield. Since E/D need to arrive at the Mat first, I believe that the BQ's negotiate with E/D to NOT Yield them, but rather a team further behind (O/D) in exchange for allowing E/D to reach the mat in first place. Is this why we see Dustin praying? They would be relying on E/D's honor to not yield them after all.

(And while this may be a wise move by the BQ's at this moment, I think you can say that this moment is also where they lose the race to E/D. )Now WHY O WHY do they choose O/D instead of Ch/M?? You must decide....

Ch/M being a later arrival to the tower (too much time gambling in the Casinos ), make a generous offer of some of their homemade noodles to O/D (really maybe $$)...

All teams then drive themselves in the bumper cars to schwartzmoor's Lou Lim Ieoc Garden where Dee takes a nosedive. This is the Pit-Matstop for the race.

Order of arrival:

E/D who escape the marked for elimination penalty.BQ's secondCh/M thirdO/D sadly last and are either marked for elim, elim, or surprised by BVM depending on your POV.

All teams may be TBC'd and keep on racing to Guam.......or not?

« Last Edit: April 19, 2007, 11:29:03 AM by georgiapeach »

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Okay just to throw this out. Is it at all possble that the Macau leg and the Guam leg are not two individual legs, but one?

After Poland, I am not leaving any possability unturned.

Is it at all possible that Hong Kong Non elimination leg (episode 10)then a leg where Macau and Guam are used being an elimination point and the beloved Oswald & DAnny getting the boot (episode 11).

Then a leg in Hawaii that is the first part of a TBC leg (episode 12)leading to the finale episode in California (episode 13).

I haven't really looked at the amount of time needed for those episodes (especially from them (being the three finale teams leaving Guam, as apposed to the eliminated teams leaving), but we do no something happens in hawaii, could it be enough for the first half of a double leg, withthe end being the race to teh finish.

After all most of the seasons do have some form of non elimination leg before the last leg (only season's 5,6, and 10 didn't).

It would also give the producers a way of having a non elimination leg (in pratise) without having to worry about the rundant 30 minute penalty. After all onthat leg its first or who gives a crap.

Here's what I think. We still have confirmed visits to Hong Kong, Macau, Guam, Hawaii, and San Francisco this season (Too much damn island hopping). There is ONE elimination left (Per Phil in the premiere). So that leaves us with one elim, two NEL's/TBC's, and the finish leg.

I'm thinking that Hong Kong and Macau are ONE combined leg, a la Punta Arenas and Ushuaia, or Santiago and Calama, earlier this season. And it's a NEL.Then we have an elimination in Guam. Down to three teams.A TBC in Hawaii - A NEL wouldn't work because of the penalty.And the final hour in California.

Plus, this is the ninth leg right now in Malaysia (4 in Sth America, 2 in Africa, 2 in Europe, and one in Asia), which means we only have four legs left - so there is a two-locale leg coming up at some point.

Don't forget about TAR 8 and how they had a NEL, a TBC and an elimination three (well, four because of that off week) weeks in a row. I think that's the most probable scenario [which did occur] if Uchenna/Joyce are indeed philiminated this Sunday. I wouldn't want to go through a TBC next week only to find out that no one gets eliminated after that.

I think it would make sense if the Macau leg is the TBC. If Danny/Oswald were the last to see Phil in the TBC pit stop, then it would make sense for them to be seen with Phil in a hydrofoil back to Hong Kong and then to Guam. If it would have been a NEL pit stop, after the last team check in, couldn't Phil and his crew ride any hydrofoil between the 12 hour resting period and go to Guam?

So I'm on the side of NEL in Hong Kong and TBC in Macau-Guam.

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just dance~*~I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.

Hi. Keep in mind, there are TurboJet from Macau to HK Airport.If they are smart, they shouldn't return to Sheung Wan or Tsim Sha Tsui Pier

The informer only said that he/she spotted the teams buying ferry tickets then jumping on the hydrofoils, but then he/she didn't specify on which ferry terminal the ferries would go to. If the teams had an extra task in Hong Kong after the Macau leg (which seems unlikely), they could have gone to those other ferry terminals. But yeah, you might be right in that they go straight to the ferry terminal close to the international airport.

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just dance~*~I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.

I also think HK is the N/E and that Macau/Guam are the TBC.. it would make more sense and work out better that way in my opinion... completeing a duble leg and it being a non elim would piss the racers and viewers off..

Here is the Skywalk X task (first posted by Slowhatch in Maps!) as seen in the preview... Go to the link for interactive fun.

Imagine you're standing on the tower, 233 metres up. Now take a stroll around the outer-rim that encircles the tower. Piece of cake, right? Oh, did we tell you that the walkway is just 1.8 metres wide and, get this, THERE'S NO HANDRAIL!

Welcome to Skywalk X! Created by AJ Hackett -- a name synonymous with bungy jumping -- Skywalk X is a new adventure that takes the hair-raising fun of Skywalk to its limit!

In June 1987, AJ Hackett bungy-jumped from the Eiffel Tower and into the international spotlight. Today the inventor of the commercial bungy operates 10 sites around the world, including the site at the Macau Tower, and all with a flawless safety record.

Just like the bungy, Skywalk X LOOKS far scarier than it really is. The world's first overhead safety system - designed by a team of Adventure Professionals at AJ Hackett - stands in place of the missing handrails, but leaves all of the scariness intact. Ready for a walk on the wild side? Come and test your nerves at Skywalk X today! Get High in Macau!

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« Last Edit: April 15, 2007, 08:09:09 PM by georgiapeach »

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I suspect that D/O get yielded, because (i may be wrong..i need to watch the preview again) but I think phil said something about teams reach a shocking decision on who to yield..or something like that...